My 4y/o mini poodle & her seizures

Question
Hi Kim, I'm not so much looking for answers, but a little support and alot more knowledge. I have a miniature poodle, Jetta Belle. I've had her for almost 9 months now and it's as if I had her all her life. Completely devoted to me, and my partner, but mostly me. When we first got her (I rescued her, as to say, she was owned by a little old man who was going into a retirement home, she was akc registered and came with papers.) she was shy, not barking as much as in her old environment, but it didn't take long for her to begin to acknowledge me as her mommy, her caretaker and her new best friend. She was normal, eating, sleeping, everything.. until she had a few seizure episodes.. and I immediately took her to the vet. She was diagnosed with epilepsy and prescribed phenobarbital. She's still on that pill, and I've gone to at least 3 different vets trying to find another solution due to the pills high rate in liver failure.. There is one other solution, sodium something? which 2 out of 3 vets said that it's about the same as pheno. I keep her on the pheno.. small, small dosages at a time. She was fine then for about 7 months and now, the seizures are back, full force.. and usually dogs don't remember their seizures, but it's as if Jetta does.. She's not herself anymore (for the past week) and I'm scared that I'm losing that rambunctious little poodle that loves me just as much as I love her.. not telling me when she needs to go out.. not wanting to play with even her favorite toy.. not even sleeping in our bed with us, in her spot like every other night. I've tried honey, I've tried cranberry juice, I even tried "calm down" the medicine available otc at PetSmart. I'm scared as if she's never going to come back to normal and jump at every sound that's louder than a low tone as if the house is getting bombed. Please help me with anything you can think of.. I've tried alot, but I am more than willing to try alot more to get my best friend back without another vet telling me "you're dog has epilepsy, give her her pill." I want my dog back because I know she's not happy... and anything anyone has to say, offer or suggest is the best thing I can ask for right now.

Answer
Hello Natasha and Jetta Belle,
Sorry to hear about your Seizures Jetta, but there is hope and your mom might be able to help you a bit.

Natasha,
Here is a suggestion I wrote another person just a couple of days ago about her Toy Poodle who had Seizures.

I have a Standard Poodle who has Seizures also.  He is a Silver Male and he tends to have a seizure about every 4-6 months or so, then nothing for awhile.
When your dog has a seizure, make sure to record the time it started, length it went, and what your dog did during the seizure.  
Some dogs can tell when a seizure is coming on.  Some will come to you and get very close to you, others will run and hide, some will act disoriented and others will just sit and wait for it to happen.  My boy always tends to become very clingy and won't leave my side.  
When the seizure starts, I do my best to sit with "Striker" and talk him through it.  Tell your dog that you are there, pet her, and reassure her that she is alright.  
If you believe in prayer, say a little prayer for her.  It always seems to calm my dog down quicker.  
Try to keep your dog calm and steady.  If she is up on a couch or bed, try to move her to the floor so that she doesn't fall.  

Depending on what food you are feeding, I would try to switch to a very high quality food.  There are not many findings on what can cause seizures (in relation to food) but they have shown that the better quality dog foods can help reduce seizures in some dogs.  
Hereditary plays a part in dogs with seizures as does a dogs environment.    

You can try this diet if you would be interested.  It has Vitamins and Minerals that will help a dog, so it might be good for your dog.

1 lb Hamburger or Turkey Burger
1/2 lb Spinach
1 can Sardines in Olive Oil (use the oil of the sardines and blend it with the Spinach to make a juice
2 eggs scrambled
1 Apple Blended (or you can use 1/2 cup of Applesauce)
1/4 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked using chicken broth for better flavor
1 grated carrot


This recipe is for a large dog so if you want to 1/2 it, feel free.
Mix these ingredients together and add to your dogs food.  He will most likely love it and think he is getting a treat.  This mixture should last you about a week in a sealed container.  If your dog isn't interested in eating this mixture, try lowering the amount of or removing the greens.  Some dogs don't like the taste.
You can add a Tbs of Cottage Cheese every other day to help if he doesn't like the taste of the veggies.

Here is information from a site about Canine Seizures I found:

Seizures in dogs can be caused by a variety of factors. A common cause of seizures in all varieties of Poodles (as well as 25 or 30 other breeds) is "idiopathic epilepsy." Idiopathic epilepsy generally is inherited, and it can result in either mild or severe seizures. Sometimes, seizures involve episodes of unusual behavior, such as running frantically as if being chased, staggering, or hiding in the bathroom. Although seizures can be frightening to watch, the long-term prognosis for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy generally is very good. Importantly, however, many other factors can cause seizures in dogs besides idiopathic epilepsy. Causes include a variety of metabolic disorders (such as liver disorders), infectious diseases that affect the brain (such as distemper), tumors, exposure to poisons, severe head injuries, and more. The prognosis for seizures due to these other disorders varies depending on the particular disorder and how early it is diagnosed. Thus, when a dog begins to have seizures, it is very important for the dog to receive a thorough diagnostic work-up to determine the cause.

Here is another site about Canine Epilepsy:
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com
it has some good information about Seizures in dogs.

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim